Genesis 35:3

Posted on February 4, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Gn 35:3 Surgite, et ascendamus in Bethel, ut faciamus ibi altare Deo: qui exaudivit me in die tribulationis meæ, et socius fuit itineris mei.

Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God, who heard me in the day of my distress, and was my companion in my journey.”

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 Surgite arise 2PL.PRES.ACT.IMP
2 et and CONJ
3 ascendamus let us go up 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ (HORT.)
4 in into PREP+ACC
5 Bethel Bethel NOUN.ACC.SG.N (PROP)
6 ut so that / that CONJ
7 faciamus we may make 1PL.PRES.ACT.SUBJ
8 ibi there ADV
9 altare altar NOUN.ACC.SG.N
10 Deo to God NOUN.DAT.SG.M
11 qui who REL.PRON.NOM.SG.M
12 exaudivit heard 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
13 me me PRON.ACC.SG.1ST
14 in in PREP+ABL
15 die day NOUN.ABL.SG.F
16 tribulationis of distress NOUN.GEN.SG.F
17 meæ my ADJ.GEN.SG.F
18 et and CONJ
19 socius companion NOUN.NOM.SG.M
20 fuit was 3SG.PERF.ACT.IND
21 itineris of journey NOUN.GEN.SG.N
22 mei my ADJ.GEN.SG.N

Syntax

Main Clause: Surgite, et ascendamus in Bethel — a series of exhortative commands calling the household to action.
Purpose Clause: ut faciamus ibi altare Deo — expresses purpose (“that we may make there an altar to God”).
Relative Clause: qui exaudivit me in die tribulationis meæ, et socius fuit itineris mei — describes God as one who both heard and accompanied Jacob.

  • exaudivit me — perfect verb emphasizing past divine aid.
  • in die tribulationis meæ — ablative of time expressing “in the day of my distress.”
  • et socius fuit itineris mei — predicate nominative construction: “and was companion of my journey.”

Morphology

  1. Surgite — Lemma: surgo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Imperative present active, 2nd person plural; Function: Command; Translation: “arise”; Notes: A direct exhortation addressed to Jacob’s family, initiating movement toward sacred action.
  2. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: N/A; Function: Connects clauses or commands; Translation: “and”; Notes: Serves as a simple connective linking imperatives.
  3. ascendamus — Lemma: ascendo; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active, 1st person plural; Function: Hortatory subjunctive expressing shared resolve; Translation: “let us go up”; Notes: Indicates Jacob’s inclusion of his family in the act of worship.
  4. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs accusative; Function: Expresses direction toward a place; Translation: “into”; Notes: Indicates motion toward Bethel, a sacred location.
  5. Bethel — Lemma: Bethel; Part of Speech: Proper noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Object of the preposition in; Translation: “Bethel”; Notes: Name of the holy place where Jacob first encountered God, meaning “House of God.”
  6. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: N/A; Function: Introduces a purpose clause; Translation: “that”; Notes: Establishes the intent behind their journey—building an altar to God.
  7. faciamus — Lemma: facio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Present subjunctive active, 1st person plural; Function: Verb of purpose clause; Translation: “we may make”; Notes: Dependent on ut, showing cooperative action to perform a sacred task.
  8. ibi — Lemma: ibi; Part of Speech: Adverb; Form: N/A; Function: Adverb of place; Translation: “there”; Notes: Refers to the destination Bethel as the location of worship.
  9. altare — Lemma: altare; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Accusative singular neuter; Function: Direct object of faciamus; Translation: “altar”; Notes: Represents the central object of the divine command for sacrifice or worship.
  10. Deo — Lemma: Deus; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Dative singular masculine; Function: Indirect object of faciamus; Translation: “to God”; Notes: Indicates dedication of the altar to the LORD, recalling His covenantal presence.
  11. qui — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: Relative pronoun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Subject of relative clause; Translation: “who”; Notes: Refers to God, identifying Him by His past acts of mercy.
  12. exaudivit — Lemma: exaudio; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active, 3rd person singular; Function: Main verb of relative clause; Translation: “heard”; Notes: Stresses that God listened attentively and favorably to Jacob’s prayer in crisis.
  13. me — Lemma: ego; Part of Speech: Pronoun; Form: Accusative singular; Function: Direct object of exaudivit; Translation: “me”; Notes: Refers to Jacob as the beneficiary of divine response.
  14. in — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: Preposition; Form: Governs ablative; Function: Expresses time when; Translation: “in”; Notes: Marks temporal circumstance during which God responded.
  15. die — Lemma: dies; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Ablative singular feminine; Function: Object of in; Translation: “day”; Notes: Used temporally to refer to the moment of tribulation.
  16. tribulationis — Lemma: tribulatio; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Genitive of specification; Translation: “of distress”; Notes: Denotes the hardship period when Jacob faced Esau’s wrath.
  17. meæ — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Genitive singular feminine; Function: Modifies tribulationis; Translation: “my”; Notes: Expresses personal affliction, intensifying Jacob’s gratitude.
  18. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: Conjunction; Form: N/A; Function: Connects clauses within the relative sentence; Translation: “and”; Notes: Joins God’s two actions—hearing and accompanying.
  19. socius — Lemma: socius; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Nominative singular masculine; Function: Predicate nominative; Translation: “companion”; Notes: Emphasizes God’s ongoing presence beside Jacob during his travels.
  20. fuit — Lemma: sum; Part of Speech: Verb; Form: Perfect indicative active, 3rd person singular; Function: Copula linking socius with God; Translation: “was”; Notes: Indicates completed but enduring divine companionship.
  21. itineris — Lemma: iter; Part of Speech: Noun; Form: Genitive singular neuter; Function: Possessive genitive; Translation: “of journey”; Notes: Refers to Jacob’s long journey from exile to home, signifying pilgrimage and faith.
  22. mei — Lemma: meus; Part of Speech: Adjective (possessive); Form: Genitive singular neuter; Function: Modifies itineris; Translation: “my”; Notes: Reflects Jacob’s personal experience of God’s guidance and protection throughout his travels.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
This entry was posted in Genesis. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.